Thursday, November 10, 2016

As we all move forward during these "Busy Times" I can't help but think to myself how amazing my life has been so far. When I was younger I moved with a purpose, or so I thought, from one fire to another putting out emergencies as they happened. Never realizing how my input was actually just part of the picture. To me it was the world, I knew I was part of a bigger world don't get me wrong, I just didn't recognize it as I was experiencing life.
We all are so self-important! We look at things through our rose glasses or our own little crystal balls based on how we see or feel about particular things that directly affect us. Some of us even believe that we can even tell you what is going to happen in the future, just watch the TV for an hour or two and wow you will realize that the world is going to be a terrible place because ... or it will now be a much better place because... all based off our own needs and wants. It's almost comical to think back to simpler times when we had to wait to find out results and formulate our opinions.

Trump won the Presidential race here in the good ole US of A., and now in the past 24 hours I have seen many parents who "all on their own have had to develop a way to explain to their child or children how love lost and Hate won." I am not a huge fan of either candidate but really? Talk about drinking the cool aide, people we need to come to grips with the fact that we live in a republic where every four years we vote to have a new president or re-elect the one we have if that is an option. To say things such as the quote I said is the hate being pushed forward not trying to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony that is for sure.

We the people, the citizens of America, are the ones that will create the harmony and peace. Now for the real reason for this particular blog. Since the last entry I have been touched in ways, I never dreamed of by the people of this country. One at a time I have had interactions with individuals in grocery stores, on the street, and in the hospitals. To say that my heart has been opened to new thinking and new hope is downplaying the ways God has revealed himself to me. There has not been a day that has gone by that I have not been approached by someone wanting to know more about Mike. Now I know that happens all the time, but this has been different to the core. These people don't just ask questions they want to open up to me and share life stories. I have had people stop and want to pray with me about the path that we are on and they are on. No, I am not a Preacher, and it does make me uncomfortable often to be put in that place where I am being used to open hearts.

I've always said the mission God has given me is to carry the message to other veterans, and misfits like me that there is hope. What I did not realize is that we are all misfits in one way or another. I was in the VA undergoing some test and a doctor that had recently moved to the same area I am hanging in currently was opening up to me, so we talked for much longer than the average time allotted by the system. After all was done and said, the doctor looked at me and said I feel the need to ask if you will pray with me, now realize this is a government facility where things like that can get people fired. We prayed and shed a few tears a left better people. What I am trying to point out here is these are all one on one interactions with another human being. Nothing to do with race religion color or politics just eyes to eye heart to heart. We as a people have forgotten or have pushed aside the reason we all formed communities in the first place. That interaction between individuals grows exponentially like wildfire just like that hate and prejudice that we all seem to be talking about but doing nothing to rebuke.
We don't fix systemic issues like racism hate and other problems like them by yelling and screaming all of our focus on the negative. We have to concentrate on the love and joy each, and every one of us has to offer to each other. We have to become a nation of communities by becoming a nation of we's. What we focus on grows what we don't goes away it is simple logistics. So for all of you wondering how to talk to your kids or yourself in the mirror, try telling yourself to love yourself and see how many more people want to hang out with the loving you! I know that I prefer to be around people that want to profess positive over negative any day!

Let's make this nation great again! It's built on some incredible values we just need to dust them off and put them into action. Action, Positive Action is the key to Positive Living.